Job 40
1 And Yahweh responded to Job, and said: —
And the LORD said to Job:
2 Shall a reprover contend, with the Almighty? He that disputeth with GOD, let him answer it!
“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who argues with God give an answer.”
3 Then Job responded to Yahweh, and said: —
Then Job answered the LORD:
4 Lo! I am of no account, what shall I reply to thee? My hand, have I laid on my mouth:
“Behold, I am insignificant. How can I reply to You? I place my hand over my mouth.
5 Once, have I spoken, but I will not proceed, yea twice, but I will not add.
I have spoken once, but I have no answer— twice, but I have nothing to add.”
6 So then Yahweh responded to Job, out of a storm, and said: —
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
7 Gird, I pray thee—as a strong man—thy loins, I will ask thee, and inform thou me.
“Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me.
8 Wilt thou even frustrate my justice? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest appear right?
Would you really annul My justice? Would you condemn Me to justify yourself?
9 But if, an arm like GOD, thou hast, and, with a voice like his, thou canst thunder,
Do you have an arm like God’s? Can you thunder with a voice like His?
10 Deck thyself, I pray thee, with majesty and grandeur, Yea, with dignity and splendour, thou shalt clothe thyself;
Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, and clothe yourself with honor and glory.
11 Pour out thy transports of anger, and look on every one who is high, and lay him low;
Unleash the fury of your wrath; look on every proud man and bring him low.
12 Look on every one who is high, and humble him, yea tread down the lawless, on the spot:
Look on every proud man and humble him; trample the wicked where they stand.
13 Hide them in the dust all together, Their faces, bind thou in darkness;
Bury them together in the dust; imprison them in the grave.
14 And, even I myself, will praise thee, in that thine own right hand can bring thee salvation.
Then I will confess to you that your own right hand can save you.
15 Behold, I pray thee, the Hippopotamus, which I made with thee, Grass—like the ox, he eateth;
Look at Behemoth, which I made along with you. He feeds on grass like an ox.
16 Behold, I pray thee, his strength in his loins, and his force, in the muscles of his belly;
See the strength of his loins and the power in the muscles of his belly.
17 He bendeth down his tail like a cedar, the sinews of his thighs, are twisted together;
His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
18 His bones, are barrels of bronze, his frame, is like hammered bars of iron:
His bones are tubes of bronze; his limbs are rods of iron.
19 He, is the beginning of the ways of GOD, Let his maker, present him his sword:
He is the foremost of God’s works; only his Maker can draw the sword against him.
20 Surely the mountains bring, produce, to him, where, all the wild beasts of the field, do play;
The hills yield him their produce, while all the beasts of the field play nearby.
21 Under the lotus-trees, he lieth down, in a covert of reed and swamp;
He lies under the lotus plants, hidden among the reeds of the marsh.
22 The lotus-trees cover him with their shade, the willows of the torrent-bed compass him about;
The lotus plants conceal him in their shade; the willows of the brook surround him.
23 Lo! the river becometh insolent—he is not alarmed! He is confident, though a Jordan burst forth to his mouth:
Though the river rages, Behemoth is unafraid; he remains secure, though the Jordan surges to his mouth.
24 Before his eyes, shall he be caught? With a hook, can one pierce his nose?
Can anyone capture him as he looks on, or pierce his nose with a snare?
